From the RNC: Wednesday Night’s Take, Single GOP Women becoming a Force?, Condi for Governor

First, a tweet from comedian Dennis Miller after the VP nominee’s speech last night: “After Ryan’s speech, Biden’s sphincter is twitchier than a college kid who drank tap water in Mexico on spring break.”

From Mike Cully, our Rostra guest correspondent, attending the Republican National Convention as part of the California delegation…

RNC Convention Day 2:

The theme of the second night of the convention was “We Can Change It,” and if you ask any of the thousands in attendance, there’s no doubt in their mind…they absolutely CAN.

The night was electric and Tim Pawlenty, Governor of Minnesota, set the tone by welcoming everyone to “Barack Obama’s retirement party.” Yes, the one liners were flying this night.

Tuesday evening was really the official start of this convention…it was loud and crowded…but nothing like the second night. As the headliners got bigger, so too did the crowds at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

At the podium, the attacks by those addressing the throng were sharper and more pointed than we saw just the night prior…and really the speakers held nothing back.

The gloves were off and the tone quite a bit different. The rally cry for reform was resonating and the RNC faithful were reveling in it.

The Speakers:

Former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice was up first and her address was all business.

The thrust of her remarks: that the Romney-Ryan team was ready to tackle the hot-button issues of foreign policy, global economic growth, energy infrastructure independence and education. This address positioned Mitt Romney as the true statesman, a leader capable of not only turning around this Country, but also leading by example throughout the world.

But really everyone in the Forum was waiting for the man of the hour…Paul Ryan.

On the floor it was clear that so many still had only a very cursory idea of who Ryan is and what he stands for, and that’s exactly how he began his address to America: introducing his family and speaking a little about his background.

Niceties aside, Ryan dug in…and fast…he hit on many of what he called failures of the Obama administration, putting the focus squarely on job creation and the repeal of Obamacare.

His rousing address got the crowd absolutely fired-up

We heard some specifics as well, like the creation of 12-million new jobs in the coming years and a commitment to cut Federal spending. The theme was reform and the message was to America: “If it didn’t work the last four years, why would it work the next four years?”

The Experience:

Law enforcement is everywhere. Tampa poIice, sheriff, National Guard, Secret Service…working together in a secure perimeter established around the Tampa Bay Times Forum and the Convention Center. The level of security, as one delegate put it, is “both comforting and unsettling.”

All buses have police escorts and law enforcement on board. As you approach the city center and the Times Forum it becomes almost surreal with multiple checkpoints and barricades — and as you approach the convention itself, the city looks deserted save for – again – the huge law enforcement presence and even National Guard teams patrolling with assault rifles…

It’s actually quite surreal.

To that end…violent protests to this point have been kept to a minimum…only a handful of arrests…and that has to be due to all the precautions. In fact, Tampa authorities are reporting only two arrests on this, the final day of the convention.

Thursday Night:

It’s hard to imagine the tempo and fervor inside the Forum becoming any more intense, but on the final night of the convention, that is exactly what will happen. Republicans have not been getting much sleep these past few days. Long days turn to long nights when the convention ends at 11 p.m. and the parties begin at 1 a.m.

Tonight, rock band Journey is performing from midnight to 3 a.m. followed by a reception and after-parties. Needless to say, this alternate delegate is not looking forward to his flight home on Friday morning.

Virginia Republican National Convention delegate Erin Smith of Single Women for Romney hopes to edge out the Democrats’ competition for single women’s votes by carving out a place for herself, and others like her, in the party. She believes if she can’t, the GOP will suffer losing ground with the fastest growing segment of the voting population.

Condoleezza Rice’s powerful speech to the Republican National Convention Wednesday night catapulted the former Secretary of State back into the national spotlight. The Republican Party needs leaders like Rice who can forcefully and convincingly convey the Republican message while concurrently offering a personal story and credentials that can draw broad support.

As California continues to careen off the fiscal cliff and there’s no sign the Democrats in Sacramento have any intention of changing direction, Republicans must soon turn to the task of fielding a serious challenger to Gov. Jerry Brown. Here are ten reasons to consider Condoleezza Rice: